NASA to Delay Moon Rocket Launch, Return to Hangar for Repairs

Space agency cites helium system malfunction, will target April for next launch attempt.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 7:12pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

NASA's giant moon rocket is headed back to the hangar at Kennedy Space Center for more repairs before astronauts can climb aboard. The space agency said it's targeting Tuesday for the four-mile trek, weather permitting, after a helium system malfunction further delayed the rocket's launch, which was already pushed back a month due to hydrogen fuel leaks.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission will mark the first time astronauts have flown to the moon since NASA's Apollo program ended in 1972. The delay in launching the new moon rocket raises questions about the timeline for NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the lunar surface.

The details

Engineers had just resolved issues with hydrogen fuel leaks and set a March 6 launch date when the new problem with the rocket's helium system arose. Helium is needed to purge the engines and pressurize the fuel tanks. NASA said the quick rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building is required to determine the cause of the helium issue and fix it.

  • NASA had barely finished a repeat fueling test on Thursday to ensure hydrogen fuel leaks were plugged.
  • The space agency had targeted a March 6 launch date, already a month late, before the helium issue emerged.

The players

NASA

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the government agency responsible for the country's civilian space program, aeronautics, and space research.

Artemis II

The second mission in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon, including the first crewed flight around the moon since the Apollo program.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy is required to determine the cause of the issue and fix it.”

— NASA

What’s next

NASA said the quick rollback to the hangar preserves an April launch attempt, but stressed that will depend on how the repairs go. The space agency has only a handful of days any given month to launch the crew of four around the moon and back.

The takeaway

The repeated delays in launching NASA's new moon rocket highlight the technical challenges and tight timeline the agency faces in its ambitious goal to return astronauts to the lunar surface. The Artemis program's success will depend on NASA's ability to quickly resolve these issues and maintain momentum towards the first crewed mission around the moon in over 50 years.